


La Barbe-Bleue

by Luxie_C



Category: Hannibal (TV), La Barbe bleue | Bluebeard - Charles Perrault
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bluebeard Fusion, Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Gore, M/M, Murder, Murder Husbands, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-26
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-28 10:47:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20777300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luxie_C/pseuds/Luxie_C
Summary: "There was, some time ago, a gentleman named Hannibal, who was very rich [...] But it happened that this gentleman had a blue beard, which made him so frightful and ugly, that none of the ladies or lords, in the parts where he lived, would venture to go into his company."After seeing the man behind the looks and marrying the so called Bluebeard, Will Graham is given a key to a room he must never open, a rule he contradicts the second his husband's back was turned.The matter is not how will he hide what he has done, but how he will prove himself worthy of his life.Story made for the #HannibalGoreFest





	La Barbe-Bleue

**Author's Note:**

> After rewatching season three again, I became fascinated with the idea of Hannigram in the tale of La Barbe-Bleue (Blue Beard) and decided to write a piece about it.  
Since this was also written for the #HannibalGoreFest , please beware of the violence descripted, even if it's not much there still is gore, so please be warned if it isn't your thing.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

There was, some time ago, a gentleman named Hannibal, who was very rich. He had fine town and country houses, his dishes and plates were all of gold and silver, his rooms were hung with damask, his chairs and sofas were covered with the richest silks, and his carriages were all gilt with gold in a grand style. 

But it happened that this gentleman had a blue beard, which made him so frightful and ugly, that none of the ladies or lords, in the parts where he lived, would venture to go into his company.

Now there was a certain lady of rank, who lived near him, and had a daughter and a son, both of them of very great beauty. Bluebeard asked her to bestow one of them upon him to wife, and left it to herself to chose which of the two it should be. But both the young lady and lord again and again said they would never marry Hannibal; yet, to be as civil as they could, each of them said the only reason why they would not have him was because they were loath to hinder their sibling from the match, which would be such a good one for them. Still the truth of the matter was, they could neither of them bear the thoughts of having a husband with a blue beard; and besides, they had heard of his having been married to several wives before, and nobody could tell what had ever become of any of them.

As Hannibal wished very much to gain their favour, he asked the lady and her children, and some ladies who were on a visit at their house, to go with him to one of his country seats, where they spent a whole week, during which they passed all their time in nothing but parties for hunting and fishing, music, dancing, and feasts. No one even thought of going to bed, and the nights were passed in merry-makings of all kinds. In short, the time rolled on in so much pleasure, that the son began to think that the beard which he had been so much afraid of, was not so very blue, and that the gentleman who owned it was vastly civil and pleasing. Soon after their return home, Will told his mother that he had no longer any dislike to accept of Hannibal for his husband; and in a very short time they were married.

About a month after the marriage had taken place, Hannibal told his wife that he should be forced to leave him for a few weeks, as he had some affairs to attend to in the country. He desired Will to be sure to indulge himself in every kind of pleasure, to invite as many of his friends as he liked, and to treat them with all sorts of dainties, that his time might pass pleasantly till he came back again. 

“Here,” said Hannibal, “are the keys of the two large wardrobes. This is the key of the great box that contains the best plate, which we use for company, this belongs to my strong box, where I keep my money, and this belongs to the casket, in which are all my jewels. Here also is a master-key to all the rooms in the house; but this small key belongs to the closet at the end of the long gallery on the ground floor. I give you leave,” said he, “to open, or to do what you like with all the rest except this closet. This, my dear, you must not enter, nor even put the key into the lock, for all the world. If you do not obey me in this one thing, you must expect the most dreadful punishments.” Will promised to obey his orders in the most faithful manner; and Bluebeard, after kissing him tenderly, stepped into his coach, and drove away.

When Hannibal was gone, the friends of his wife did not wait to be asked, so eager were they to see all the riches and fine things he had gained by marriage; for they had none of them gone to the wedding, on account of their dislike to the blue beard of the bridegroom. 

As soon as ever they came to the house, they ran about from room to room, from closet to closet, and then from wardrobe to wardrobe, looking into each with wonder and delight, and said, that every fresh one they came to, was richer and finer than what they had seen the moment before. At last they came to the drawing-rooms, where their surprise was made still greater by the costly grandeur of the hangings, the sofas, the chairs, carpets, tables, sideboards, and looking-glasses; the frames of these last were silver-gilt, most richly adorned, and in the glasses they saw themselves from head to foot. In short, nothing could exceed the richness of what they saw; and they all did not fail to admire and envy the good fortune of their friend. 

But all this time the bride himself was far from thinking about the fine speeches they made to him, for he was eager to see what was in the closet his husband had told him not to open. So great, indeed, was his desire to do this, that, without once thinking how rude it would be to leave his guests, he slipped away down a private staircase that led to this forbidden closet, and in such a hurry, that he was two or three times in danger of falling down stairs and breaking his neck.

When he reached the door of the closet, Will stopped for a few moments to think of the order his husband had given him, and how Hannibal had told him that he would not fail to keep his word and punish him very severely, if he did not obey him. But he was so very curious to know what was inside, that he made up his mind to venture in spite of every thing. 

He then, with a trembling hand, put the key into the lock, and the door straight flew open. As the window shutters were closed, he at first could see nothing; but in a short time she saw that the floor was covered with clotted blood, on which the bodies of several dead men and women were lying.

These were all the wives whom Bluebeard had married, and killed one after another. At this sight he was ready to sink with fear, and the key of the closet door, which he held in his hand, fell on the floor. When he had a little got the better of his fright, he took it up, locked the door, and made haste back to his own room, that he might have a little time to get into a humour to amuse his company; but this he could not do, so great was his fright at what he had seen. As he found that the key of the closet had got stained with blood in falling on the floor, he wiped it two or three times over to clean it; yet still the blood kept on it the same as before. he next washed it, but the blood did not move at all. He then scoured it with brick dust, and after with sand, but in spite of all he could do, the blood was still there; for the key was a fairy who was Hannibal’s friend; so that as fast as he got off the blood on one side, it came again on the other. 

Early in the same evening Bluebeard came home, saying, that before he had gone far on his journey he was met by a horseman, who was coming to tell him that his affair in the country was settled without his being present; upon which his wife said every thing he could think of, to make him believe he was in a transport of joy at his sudden return. And deep down Will was, despite all he had seen.

The next morning he asked him for the keys: Will gave them to him; but as he could not help showing his fright of discovery, Hannibal easily guessed what had been the matter. “How is it,” said he, “that the key of the closet upon the ground floor is not here?”

“Is it not?” said the wife, “then I must have left it on my dressing-table.”

“Be sure you give it me by and by,” replied Bluebeard.

After going a good many times backwards and forwards, as if he was looking for the key, he was at last forced to give it to Hannibal, who looked hard at it, and then said: “How came this blood upon the key?”

“I am sure I do not know,” replied the poor lord, at the same time turning as white as a sheet. “You do not know?” said Blue Beard sternly, “but I know well enough. You have been in the closet on the ground floor! Very well, mister: since you are so mighty fond of this closet, you shall be sure to take your place among the ladies and lords you saw there.”

His wife, who was almost dead with fear, now fell upon his knees, asked his pardon a thousand times for his fault, sweared his love was true, and begged Hannibal to forgive him, looking all the time so very mournful and lovely, that he would have melted any heart that was not harder than a rock. But Blue Beard only said, “No, no, mister; you shall die this very minute!” 

“Alas!” said the poor trembling creature, “if I must die, give me, as least, a little time to say my prayers.” 

“I give you,” replied the cruel Blue Beard, “half a quarter of an hour: not a moment longer.” 

When Hannibal had left him to himself, Will called his sister; and after telling her, as well as he could for almost sobbing, that he had but half a quarter of an hour to live; “Prithee,” said he, “sister, run up to the top of the tower, and see if my brothers are not in sight, for they said they would visit me to-day, and if you see them, make a sign for them to gallop on as fast as ever they can.”

His sister straight did as she was desired; and the poor trembling lord every minute cried out to her: “Sister! Do you see any one coming?” Her sister said, “I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass, which looks green.”

In the meanwhile, Bluebeard, with a great cimeter in his hand, bawled as loud as he could to his wife, “Come down at once, or I will fetch you.” 

“One moment longer, I beseech you,” replied he, and again called softly to his sister, “Do you see any one coming?” To which he answered, “I see nothing but the sun, which makes a dust, and the grass, which looks green.” 

Hannibal now again bawled out, “Come down, I say, this very moment, or I shall come to fetch you.” 

“I am coming; indeed I will come in one minute,” sobbed his wretched wife. Then he once more cried out, “Sister? do you see any one coming?” 

“I see,” said she, “a cloud of dust a little to the left.” 

“Do you think it is my brothers?” said the wife. “Alas! no, dear sister,” replied she, “it is only a flock of sheep.” 

“Will you come down, mister?” said Blue Beard, in the greatest rage. “Only one single moment more,” said Will. 

And then he called out for the last time,“Sister! Do you see no one coming?” 

“I see, two men on horseback coming; but they are still a great way off.”

"Finally,” cried he, “they are my brothers; beckon them to make haste.”

Bluebeard now cried out so loud for him to come down, that his voice shook the whole house. The poor lord, with his hair loose, almost in tears, now came down, and fell on his knees, begging him to spare his life; but Hannibal stopped him, saying, “All this is of no use, for you shall die,” and then, seizing him by the hair, raised his cimeter to strike off Will's head.

The poor man now begged a single moment to prove his loyalty. “No, no,” said Blue Beard, “I will give you no more time. You have had too much already.” 

And again he raised his arm. Just at this instant a loud knocking was heard at the gates, which made Hannibal wait for a moment to see who it was. 

"Let me prove myself, husband."

The gates now flew open, and two officers, dressed in their uniform, came in, and, with their swords in their hands, ran to their brother, worried for dear life.

"What has this monster done to you, dear William?" the oldest of the brothers asked.

"Nothing," the lord allowed himself to say, "it is what I intend to do that should frighten you. Forgive me." I'm a single movement, Will brought the cimeter down to his brother's neck, breaking through bone and reaching the other side. 

The head had barely hit the ground when the lord came for the younger sibling, this time disarming him before running his blade along his brother's belly, gutting as if he was nothing but an animal. Due to his inexperience, Will could not stop the guts from falling on his dress, or the blood from painting his expression red.

Bluebeard looked down at the bodies laying down at his wife's feet, opened even wider and destroyed even rougher than the leftovers of his previous marriages. He walked over the pool of blood that was formed under his boots and reached his hand to his dear Will, pulling him for a tight embrace after the carnage. There was no other way his wife could have proven such devotion and love.

As if they were back at the wedding night, Will kissed his husband with every strength and passion that were still in his body, not caring for the metallic taste that was left on both tongues. "Has this been enough?" asked he, "Am I still meant for the pile amongst those before me? Or have I gained your heart again?"

Against the blood covered lips, Hannibal smiled, whispering through his blue beard that tingled the face of the lord "There is still a sister of yours in the upper chambers, if I am correct."

William smiled, heading towards the marble stairs leaving a trail of scarlet footprints behind his back. One last proving, one last cruelty in the name of love and loyalty, and yet only the beggining of his demise. There was no turning back, no words to be said to any god that could make him innocent.

And certain of his place in hell, Will kept walking, ready to commit to his very own sister the cruelty that could have been bestowed upon him, all in the name of love.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading this far.


End file.
